The head of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC) called this afternoon on the international community to
counter hatred, intolerance and discrimination against Muslims everywhere,
saying that the acts of few extremist fanatics were being used to associate
Islam with terrorism.

Members of the Bureau of the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) -- a three-year-old organization seeking
an observer status with the United Nations -?
updated correspondents on the organization's work and spoke about their
meetings with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and senior United
Nations officials, at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

Rudy Salles, President of the Assembly
said the organization had been founded in 2006 following 15 years of cooperation
among the States of the Mediterranean region.